September 9, 2024
Pham debuts with a memorable and disturbing historical set in French-occupied Vietnam. In 1918, four wealthy boys—native Annamites Duy, Phong, and Minh, and Frenchman Edmond—steal away from their boarding school to visit a fortune teller who warns that one of them will die by poison. A decade later, after the boys have grown into formidable businessmen, one of them dies such a death, at a debaucherous party in an extravagant Dalat mansion. From there, the narrative splinters, with flashbacks from each protagonist’s perspective buttressed by recollections from their employees, lovers, and mothers that give gradual context to the central tragedy. What emerges is less a traditional mystery than a bleak portrait of life under colonization, with special focus on the ill treatment of women and animals by elites, and the spiritual hopelessness that saturates their ranks: even Phong, the most brilliant and promising of the friends, abandons his studies to smoke Duy’s family’s opium and pursue a doomed love affair with Edmond. Pham’s prose is lyrical, and her evocation of the period immersive, but the sprawling cast means some secondary characters don’t quite come to life. Still, this is a tense and unique dispatch from a key period in Vietnamese history. Agent: Danya Kukafka, Trellis Literary.
December 3, 2024
At first glance, Jacquie Pham’s debut novel, Those Opulent Days, might appear to be a classic whodunit murder mystery, except the true ‘villain’ is far from the usual suspect. Set in 1928 French-colonial Vietnam, the novel follows lifelong best friends Duy, Phong, Minh and Edmond, who are haunted by a prophecy that one of them will die soon. As each assume their roles in Saigon’s high society, the group’s deepening tensions reveal something far more sinister than the foretold death. Those Opulent Days is a gripping story of friendship and youth corrupted by wealth and colonialism and the consequences of growing up too fast in an unforgiving world. Pham crafts deeply complex characters who are sympathetic yet sometimes cruel and ruthless, brought to life through a narrative that skilfully transitions between flashbacks and the perspectives of the boys, their families and their servants. Although the shifting perspectives occasionally disrupt the narrative flow, it becomes clear that these diverse perspectives are vital to gaining a nuanced view of how the murder happened and understanding the power imbalance and corrupt structures that led to it. While the murder plot initially hooks you, the story soon centres on forbidden love, the burdens of duty and the violent nature of colonialism and power. This historical crime thriller is rich with heart and mystery, perfect for readers who crave thrillers with more depth. It lingers in your mind, provoking reflection on the consuming and disruptive nature of wealth and power long after the final page. For readers who enjoyed the coming-of-age story and mystery of Stephen King’s The Body and the colonial themes of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing.
